Monitoring individual data flow performance

Abstract

The performance of a network, such as a mobile communications network, having multiple network nodes can be monitored. In a first network node, certain data flows passing through the node are tagged by adding a performance management identifier. In a second network node, statistics relating to data flows containing the performance management identifier are aggregated, and the aggregated statistics are reported to a management node of the communications network. This allows for the gathering of accurate statistics relating to specific types of data flow, such as data flows to specific types of user equipment or containing specific types of data, even though the second node, in which the statistics are generated, cannot itself distinguish between the different data flows.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of monitoring a performance of a communications network, the method comprising:
 receiving by a core network node a request from a management node relating to a data flow property which is associated with one of a plurality of different types of user equipment or from an intermediate network node relating to a data flow identity which is associated with the one type of user equipment; 
 receiving by the core network node a plurality of data flows passing through the core network node; 
 checking by the core network node a user equipment identifier for each of the plurality of data flows passing through the core network node; 
 determining by the core network node whether the user equipment identifier is associated with the data flow property or the data flow identity of the plurality of data flows; 
 adding by the core network node a performance management identifier to each of the plurality of data flows determined to be associated with the data flow property or the data flow identity; and 
 identifying by at least one base station data flows containing the same performance management identifier; 
 aggregating by the at least one base station statistics relating to the identified data flows identified by the at least one base station; and 
 reporting by the at least one base station the aggregated statistics to a management node of the communications network. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving by the intermediate node a request from the management node relating to the data flow property; 
 identifying by the intermediate node data flows having the data flow property; and 
 signaling, to the core network node, information about the flow identity combined with a request to add the performance management identifier to the data flow with the data flow identity. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein where the intermediate network node is an IMS node. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  where the core network node is a SGSN node. 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the reporting by the at least one base station the aggregated statistics to the management node of the communications network is performed in each of a plurality of base stations. 
     
     
       6. A method of operation of a base station in a communications network, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of data flows; 
 detecting data flows containing a performance management indicator which is associated with one of a plurality of different types of user equipment, wherein the performance management identifier is added to the plurality of data flows by a core network node when a user equipment identifier of a data flow is associated with a data flow property, wherein the data flow property is associated with one of a plurality of different types of user equipment; 
 aggregating statistics relating to the plurality of data flows containing the performance management indicator; and 
 reporting the aggregated statistics to a management node of the communications network. 
 
     
     
       7. A method of operation of an intermediate network node in a communications network, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from a management node that a plurality of data flows should are to be identified which are all associated with one of a plurality of different types of user equipment; 
 determining a performance management identifier that identifies the plurality of data flows which are associated with a user equipment identifier; 
 signalling to a core network node identifying the determined performance management identifier to be added to the plurality of data flows which are associated with the one type of user equipment, wherein the determined performance management identifier is added to the plurality of data flows by the core network node when the user equipment identifier of a data flow is associated with a data flow property, wherein the data flow property is associated with one of a plurality of different types of user equipment; and 
 signalling to at least one base station to initiate aggregating statistics relating to the plurality of data flows containing the performance management identifier. 
 
     
     
       8. A system in a communications network, the system comprising:
 an intermediate network node configured to:
 receive a request from a management node that a plurality of data flows should are to be identified which are all associated with one of a plurality of different types of user equipment; 
 signal to a core network node that a performance management identifier should is to be added to the plurality of data flows which are associated with the one type of user equipment; 
 signal to at least one base station to aggregate statistics relating to the plurality of data flows containing the performance management identifier, 
 
 wherein the performance management identifier is added to the plurality of data flows by the core network node when a user equipment identifier of a data flow is associated with a data flow property, wherein the data flow property is associated with one of a plurality of different types of user equipment; and 
 a base station configured to:
 identify data flows containing the same performance management identifier which is associated with the one type of user equipment; 
 aggregate statistics relating to the identified data flows; and 
 report the aggregated statistics to the management node of the communications network.